Curtain-stretcher.



L. P. MASON.

CURTAIN STRETCHER.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 11. 1916.

1 gggfi. 12 Patented June 5, 1917.

7 amvemtoz LYMAN P. MASON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GUBTAIN-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed April 11, 1916. Serial No. 90,438.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LYMAN P. Mason, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to curtain stretchers of the knock-down type, and primarily adapted for the stretching and drying of lace curtains or the like, and which shall be simple in construction, durable in use and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of the above stated character embodying a frame including side and end rails constructed of a series of sections, means for connecting the meeting ends of the sections of the side and end rails of the frame together, and means for detachably connecting the fastening means to the meeting terminals of the rails, whereby the frame may be easily and quickly connected together and adjusted for curtains of various sizes, quickly and easily assembled and folded to occupy but little space, so that the same may be conveniently stored away or transported.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts which will hereinafter be more fully set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the frame as it would appear when set up for use;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the rail sections;

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view illustrating the joint of two sections;

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view on plan at right angles to that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail section, illustrating the manner of fastening the rails of the frame together; and

Fig. 6 is a detail }')O].'Sp8(}tl"6 view of a slight modified form of connecting means for the rail.

Referring more particularly to the draw ing, in which like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views 5 designates the frame generally, constructed from sectional side rails 6 and end rails 7 connected together through the me dium of a fastening bolt 8. The rails of the frame embody, a plurality of sections 9' and 10 having reduced L-shaped meeting ends 11 and 12 respectively, presenting each of the meeting ends of the sections with an elongated tongue 13 and a horizontally arranged shoulder 14.

It is my object to provide a novel form of fastening means for connecting the meeting ends of the sections together in overlapping relation one to the other, and to this end, the tongue 13 of each section is provided with a longitudinally extending bore or opening 15 adapted to receive the pronged end 16 of a headed fastening member 17. This headed fastening member 17 has its head portion 18 poslt oned within a longitudinally extending opening or bore 19, opening out through the shoulder 14 detachably and loosely holding the headed member 17 therein. I provide an angular metal plate 19 adapted to receive through the opening 20 thereof the extending or pronged end 16 of the headed pin or fastening member 17, said plate 19 being detachably secured over and for the full length of the shoulder 14 through the medium of screws 21. In order to prevent this plate from becoming accidentally displaced from the shoulder, I provide the same with an angular flange 22 extending over the innermost longitudinal edge 23, and secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as by means of screws or the like.

The side rails 6 of the frame embody a pair of end sections 24 and an intermediate section 25. The manner of connecting the inner sections of the side rails to the intermediate section thereof, is identical with that above described for connecting the sec tions 9 and 10 of the end rails together. If so desired, after the sections constituting the side rails and the sections constituting the end rails are in assembled form, the samemay be securely fastened together through the medium of a bolt 26 provided with a thumb nut 27. 28 denotes a metallic reinforcing plate detachably connected over the abutting ends of the side and end sections of the frame, and formed with an opening 43 adapted to register with the pin receiving bore of each of said sections, thereby reinforcing the ends of said sections, and preventing the wearing thereof by the constant contact of the, faces of the meeting ends of said sections with one another.

In Fig; 6 of the drawing I have shown a slight modified form of connecting means for connecting the side and end rails together, which constitutes a U-shaped clamp having an adjustable screw 31, and if so desired, this specific form of connecting means may be substituted for the connecting bolt 8.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and while I have described the principles of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such advantages maybe made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended thereto.

I claim:

1. A curtain stretcher comprising a frame including side and end rails each embodying a series of sections formed with L-shaped meeting ends providing the same with a shoulder and a tongue, at headed pronged Copies of this patent may be obtained for end sections and an intermediate section, the I meeting ends of the said end and intermediate sections bemg reduced to form the same of L-shaped configuration, presentmg 'a tongue and a horizontally formed shoulder, each having a cylindrical bore, a headed fastening member disposed in one of said bores and projecting beyond said shoulder and in parallelism 'with said tongue and adapted to engage with the opening formed on the tongue of the adjacent section, means for detachably fastening the fastening members in active position, and a reinfo1 7cing plate connected on the meeting terminal portions of said sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LYMAN P. MASON.

Washington, D. C. 

